07 August 2013 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) opened the exhibit, “The Philippine Foreign Service: Its Beginnings” at the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) Aseana Building in Parañaque City.
The opening ceremony for the exhibit was attended by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration Rafael E. Seguis, Congresswoman Zenaida B. Angping, OCA Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor V. Ledda, members of the Consular Corps, retired ambassadors, DFA officials and employees, officials from other government agencies, as well as distinguished guests.
The exhibit celebrates the 149th birth anniversary of Apolinario Mabini and the 115th anniversary of the DFA’s foundation. The exhibit, now on its second run, will be available for viewing from August 05 to 16 at the OCA Aseana Building.
Exhibit visitors will have a window into the rich and colorful history of the Philippine Foreign Service from the time of Apolinario Mabini, the first Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary, and be acquainted with the leaders who helped shaped the institution.
“It is difficult to appreciate the development and growth of our Foreign Service without going back to our roots. In seeing the rare photos of the DFA and the Foreign Service, I cannot help but admire the hard work and sacrifice of our predecessors, particularly after our country gained independence, which guided and inspired the next generation of Foreign Service personnel whose primary role is to advance the country’s national interests and to serve as the country’s first line of defense. It is therefore fitting to pay tribute to our predecessors in the Foreign Service who helped shaped the history of our institution and even our nation,” Undersecretary Seguis said in his remarks during the opening program.
The two-week exhibit features various rare photos, documents and memorabilia from archives sourced here and abroad, including valuable items from the Carlos P. Romulo collection; photos of luminaries such as Elpidio Quirino, Carlos P. Romulo, Leon Ma. Guerrero, Raul Manglapus, Narciso Ramos, and Luis Moreno, among others; and digital displays on selected topics on the Philippine Foreign Service.
The exhibit also features antique travel and consular documents, showing the evolution of the provision of consular services of the Department from the issuance of manually-scripted passports to the modern and highly-secure e-Passports.
The exhibit likewise informs visitors of the Department’s efforts to improve the quality of consular services and bring them closer to the public by opening satellite and regional consular offices through public-private partnership with the Ayala Mall Group, Gaisano Mall Group, Robinsons Malls and SM Malls.
The event, organized by the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration with OCA, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Office of Personnel and Administrative Services (OPAS), Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination (OSPPC), Office of Fiscal Management (OFM), Office of Protocol (OP), Public Information Services Unit (PISU), and Cultural Diplomacy Unit of the Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (OUIER-CDU), aims to foster renewed interest of DFA personnel and the general public on the history of the Department.
The first run of the exhibit was showcased at the DFA Main Building in Pasay City from July 15 to 26. Parts of the exhibit will be replicated in the different DFA Satellite Offices in Metro Manila and in the regions, particularly Visayas and Mindanao, as well as in the Foreign Service Posts. END